


Familiar Taste of Poison

by Cupcakemolotov



Series: come alive [11]
Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Blood Sharing, F/M, Mental/Emotional Torture, No one important dies, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-27
Updated: 2018-03-27
Packaged: 2019-04-13 13:05:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14112951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cupcakemolotov/pseuds/Cupcakemolotov
Summary: A great love isn't always a blessing.





	Familiar Taste of Poison

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt for KCGB: It would be awesome if cupcakemolotov would write something about KC being mates based off of Katherine's quote about loving the poetry of using Caroline as the sacrifice. My personal headcanon is that Katherine's traveler family cursed him during the massacre to have a mate/great love, Katherine found out and killed Caroline as a result thinking he would kill her during the sacrifice and making her statement make sense.
> 
> I hope this does your idea justice. This may end up with a second part when I have a little more time on my hands! There is no smut, but there are mentions of violence.

_I like the poetry of Carolin_ e - Katherine Pierce

 

Caroline felt like she was floating. For the first time since she woke thirsty, the scent of blood hot in her nose, her limbs felt heavy. There were muted voices she couldn't quite make out and an alarm was buried under an urge to sleep. Fuzzily, she let her mind drift and slowly worked through the last thing she remembered.

"We're going to die."

Caroline glanced over at Tyler, his bitter expression. His jaw was set, lips compressed and she shifted her weight, wincing at the rattling of chains. "I know."

His head snapped into her direction and she had to look away from the disbelief in his face. "That's it Care? Just, you know?"

She shrugged, glancing around the cellar they'd been stuffed and shackled into. She still didn't know what had hit her, just that her head still ached. But the chains weren't budging, and she couldn't reach Tyler.

"What do you want me to say, Tyler? Don't worry, someone will notice we're missing? Who's going to be looking?"

Not her mom. Liz wouldn't even notice that Caroline missing until tomorrow, maybe the day after. Bile threatened to rise, at the devastation her mom would feel finding her body. She yanked the chains in frustration.

"Don't be like that," Tyler said. "We knew when you'd been abducted last time."

Caroline looked at him with wrinkled brows. "Which time was that? When I was tortured by your pack? Because that worked out great,"

He flinched and Caroline closed her eyes, blew out a frustrated breath. "I'm sorry."

"I should be the one apologizing," He said quietly. "I never did, did I? We're going to die, and I've never apologized for that night."

"I forgave you."

"Maybe you shouldn't have."

"Hey, I get to decide when I forgive and when I don't, Tyler," she glared at him until he looked at her. "And I choose to forgive you."

He nodded, leaned against the wall. "So why do you think we're here?"

"You mean other than our early demise? I don't know," she let her head think against the wall. "Nothing fun."

She'd seen the rituals in Bonnie's grimores and they'd given her chills. Whatever was in their future, it was going to hurt. She wished she'd been brave enough to talk to her mom, so that Liz knew this wasn't her fault. Her daughter had died weeks ago and the monster left behind still loved her so much, but she was so afraid.

He nodded, strained on the chains. "Dammit."

"If Damon and Stefan are smart, they'll have grabbed Elena and run," Caroline murmured.

"Ah, but see, sweetheart, running from me isn't wise at all. I assure you, dear Katerina would have been very educational on that matter."

Her eyes shot up as a vampire stepped into their line of sight. He wasn't overly tall, probably a little shy of six feet. His was wearing a curling smile that showed off dimples, and his curls would have given him a near boyish charm, if not for the expression behind his eyes. It cut through her to her bones, and alarm rolled down her spine in goosebumps.

"Who are you?" Tyler's voice was strained, rough with frustration.

The vampire's eyes never left her face and Caroline lifted her chin. They were going to die, and she wasn't going to cower. She wondered if he worked for Klaus. Hands clasped behind his back, the vampire finally shifted his gaze. "Ah, my little sacrificial werewolf, I'm Klaus."

Caroline barely kept from flinching, while Tyler rattled his chain in his surprise. Klaus studied him for a moment, before turning his attention back to her. "No words, sweetheart?"

She didn't like his tone, the way he seemed to assume that he knew her. If she had to die, she wasn't going to cower. She'd died once before and she didn't remember waking with bone deep chills, so this time couldn't be terrible either. "Why? So you can laugh before you kill us?"

"Now that would be a bit ungentlemanly of me, don't you think?"

She deliberately rattled her chain. "Yeah, well your accommodations suck."

A quick grin and he angled his head. "Apologies, love, but you understand. I've got a bit of an agenda and it has a very specific timetable. It'll be over soon enough."

"No," Caroline said with clipped tones. "I don't understand."

"Care," Tyler hissed.

"Ah, come now, Tyler - it is Tyler? - Caroline deserves to know why death is going to be collecting several of your friends over the next few hours." Klaus prowled closer and casually reached out to tug on a curl, expression unreadable. "You can blame Katerina, although I hear she's going by Katherine these days."

Caroline flinched away from the surprisingly gentle hold on her hair, the mention of the vampire who killed her leaving her teeth grinding. Klaus arched both brows, expression thoughtful. "So she is your sire."

She kept her mouth shut, unwilling to elaborate on any of those details, but Tyler made a noise. Wrapping that curl around his forefinger, Klaus tugged lightly. "Little vampire, I'm not particularly fond of being given inaccurate information. Enlighten me."

"I'm not particularly fond of being sacrificed for megalomaniacs set on killing my friends," Caroline said, words tripping off her tongue before she could catch them.

"Brave, but not particularly smart," Klaus drawled. "It's as easy to compel the information out of you as it is for you to give it to me, Caroline."

Her insides ran cold.

"Vampires cannot be compelled." Tyler said, yanking on his chains. "She hasn't done anything."

"Collateral damage rarely does more than be too close to the crossfire," Klaus shrugged. "And I can compel anyone I wish. A bit of a perk, being an Original. Shall I show you?"

Panic tightened her lungs. Her hands twisted into the chains as she pressed firmly into the wall. She didn't like the way Klaus looked at her, fingers unwinding carefully from her hair to touch her chin as she tried to avoid his eyes.

"You've been compelled before," Klaus mused. "Who?"

She watched him from her peripheral vision warily, not trusting the laid back posture or the near gentle tone to his voice. He reminded her of a puppeteer, pulling his marionette strings. She'd no doubt that he was tugging them with her, hunting for a crack in her armor.

"It doesn't matter, as you're going to kill me anyway," Caroline rasped. She swallowed, firmed her voice. "If you're going to compel me, then do it and leave."

Instead of pulling her chin around, he stepped away and walked the room. "There are only three vampires in Mystic Falls other than yourself, love. The Salvatores and Katerina Petrova."

Caroline shot a confused glance at Tyler, whose brows were bunched together. He shook his head and she swallowed. "Why do you care?"

Klaus clasped his hands, smiled. "Ah, I'm afraid that explanation will take a few moments and we've some additional company. Hello, Damon. Please, join us. Or you can run, I'll feed you your liver."

There was a turbulent silence, and then sounds of Damon's heavy tread moving down the stairs was easily heard. Klaus glanced over to Caroline and winked. "You'll notice love, the lack of resistance to my suggestion?"

"And he's keeping his liver," she retorted. "Is that next on your list for us? Torture?"

"You're pretty, sweetheart, but that tongue of yours is a bit sharp." He clicked his tongue as Damon warily stepped around him. "Do watch it, as it might not grow back in the time you have before our upcoming ceremony. Damon! I wondered when you'd be joining us."

Damon shrugged. "I was under the impression you were elsewhere."

"Oh? And who gave you such information? Not dear Katerina?" Klaus clearly didn't expect an answer, lifting a hand to motion to Caroline and Tyler. "How exactly did you plan on rescuing them? Who did you hope to save? Both?"

Damon didn't look at either of them. "Of course."

"Of course," Klaus parroted, smile a blade. "Have I told you how I dislike liars, Damon?"

Weight shifting, Damon arched a brow. "Why do you care?"

"I confess to a certain amount of curiosity. You see, Katerina has been known to make a fair number of vampires if she needs a distraction. You and Stefan were a little out of the ordinary, but hardly unique. She and my oldest brother are playing an interesting game while she runs from me; you and Stefan were just two more pieces for that particular chess match."

"How does that concern me?"

"Oh, generally it wouldn't and Elijah would deal with you. A bit possessive, my oldest brother." His gaze flickered back to Caroline. "But Caroline, on the other hand, I'm most curious about."

"Blondie?" Damon scoffed. "She's a bit easy for your taste."

Klaus casually reached over and snapped his arm. Caroline jerked against the chains, her heart pounding in her ears as Tyler snarled. Klaus never took his eyes from her, even as Damon swore.

"I'm not fond of rudeness," Klaus said mildly. "And your opinion is unwanted. Here you are, Damon, attempting to play the white knight. Given your crudely worded disdain for Caroline, I'm most curious as to what you're basing your opinion on?"

Damon remained silent.

Klaus made an amused noise. "Here are the facts, as I know them. Katherine killed Caroline, but as I've recently been made aware, Katherine is not her sire. What do you know about that, Damon? Shall I break your other arm? Remove a few organs?"

"Stop it," Caroline blurted into the silence. "Just stop. Why does it matter?"

A smile that left her bones cold crossed his face as he prowled back in her direction. She flinched as he touched her chin, feathering his fingertips along her jawline. "Katerina betrayed me and lived when she should have died. I confess, I lost my temper. Most of her family died. Collateral damage and all, sweetheart. To my irritation, I discovered that she'd kept more than one secret from me during that time. Her family belongs to a very specific cult, that a brother of mine very insistently wished to destroy. And they took the massacre badly."

"That doesn't have anything to do with me."

"That is not entirely true, Caroline Forbes," Klaus said simply. "They were quite clever, the travelers. Very clever. Would you like to know what they cursed me with?"

"Please tell me it was painful," Damon ground out.

"I suppose it depends," Klaus murmured. "They cursed me with soulmate."

"What does that even mean?" Tyler broke in. "That doesn't sound like a curse."

"Love is a vampire's greatest weakness," Klaus said with that mild tone. "And Katerina killed you, Caroline. Wanted you to be pretty bait, why?"

She gaped at him, at all the things he'd said and all of the implications. "I'm not your soulmate. That's impossible."

"No?" Klaus smiled, veins crawling into his eyes, turning them black. "Let's test it."

She screamed when he bit into her throat, teeth sinking deep. She scrambled for leverage, panic and terror turning her vision fuzzy. She heard Tyler screaming obscenities, and Klaus did not linger. Lifting a mouth stained with blood, he brought his wrist to his teeth and ripped open his skin, shoving it against her lips. She struggled, and he caught her hip with fingers that ground her bones.

"Now, now love, just taste."

The world swam, his blood hot on her tongue and just as her fangs pricked his skin he pulled away. Her body buzzed, emotions tangled in a riotous mess as the horror of being chained and bitten faded under a strange contentment that grew as he stroked her cheek.

"Look at you," he murmured. "Such pretty golden curls and black eyes."

Her senses came back online in a rush of adrenaline and she kicked him hard. He staggered back, eyes flaring with fury before he laughed. "I'd apologize, but I think we both know my point is proven."

"Go to hell."

"Tell me Damon, why are you really here?" Klaus said, turning to face the vampire watching them with calculating eyes. Damon opened his mouth, but Klaus suddenly blurred and wrenched his neck. "On second thought, we'll chat later."

Caroline pressed against the wall, forced her vampire down even as she licked her lips clean. Klaus clasped his hands, studied both her and a white faced Tyler.

"Now, what to do with the two of you? My apparent soulmate and the werewolf."

This time Caroline held her tongue and he smiled with blood still flecked on his lips.

"I dreamed of killing my soulmate, of wrenching that pretty head right off your shoulders," Klaus mused as he prowled forward, tangling his fingers into her hair. She glared at him, refusing to soften to the almost soothing motions of his hands. Terror was soaking into her bones, hand tight in the chains but she would not cower.

"A weakness is something I've never once allowed myself. And as pretty are you are, as delicious on my tongue, you've the potential to be a terrible weakness, Caroline."

"Then kill me," she told him, voice steady. "I'm not a pawn. For you or Katherine or anything else."

Klaus' lips curved slightly. "Still so brave. Death may yet await you, Caroline Forbes. But there is yet one question that I require an answer too."

She swallowed. "What?"

"In a few hours, I'll be a true hybrid. Both werewolf and vampire," he considered her, a blade and a pit behind his eyes. "I know what the vampire wants with you, all the ways to dig you out from under my skin so that I can walk free of you. But the wolf? Why turn you, so that I'd have such a handy little sacrifice? What did Katerina hope to gain?"

Caroline shook her head as best she could. "I was a message for Damon and Stefan, not you."

"Perhaps,"Klaus said softly. "But don't worry, sweetheart. I admire your bravery and your honesty. Regardless of what happens, if your death is just around the corner, you won't suffer."

And his hands moved, the world turning black as he snapped her neck.

* * *

Caroline opened her eyes slowly, uncertain when she found herself tucked into a bed. Sitting up straight, her gaze moved frantically around the room and for a moment, she didn't comprehend what she was looking at. There was a low level thrumming she'd never heard before and her eyes landed in the small, oval windows and her lungs seized.

Eyes darting towards the doorway, she slowly slide out if the covers and gave herself one moment to peer out the window; fingers touching the glass as she stared at the endless sheet of water below. She was on a plane. Teeth catching her bottom lip, for a moment she let herself be fascinated by the experience.

"Hello, Caroline."

Her head and body twisted, and she stared at Klaus with wild eyes. His expression was something she couldn't read, but the arrogance was muted by something that left her heart pounding. She licked dry lips, tried not to shiver as his eyes followed the motion.

"Are you going to kill me?"

Klaus leaned against the doorframe, arched one brow. "No, sweetheart, I'm not. I'd even go as far to say you're likely the safest individual on this planet. Come, there is blood, which you need, and we have much to discuss."

She didn't believe him. She didn't know why she was here, why she was alive. She didn't even know where here was but she knew she didn't trust him. Shivering, she gave the odd little bedroom one last wistful glance.

She was on her first flight. To bad she was on it with a murdering megalomaniac who all but promised that when he killed her she wouldn't suffer. She heard the sound of dishes being moved around, smelled the rich scent of fresh blood and fought with her monster. Pressing a hand to her chest, Caroline swallowed her fear and made herself a promise.

No matter what happened, she'd survive as Caroline or nothing at all.

Her bare feet were nearly silent as she walked carefully into the main cabin. Klaus looked up anyway, studied her with that pit behind his gaze.

"Why am I here?" She demanded, arms crossing as he continued to watch her. "I'm pretty sure you were set on murdering me."

"Sit," he suggested, head tilting. "The blood is still warm, Caroline."

She froze, eyes darting to the glass before returning to his face. "What?"

His lips curved. "It was donated by the stewardess and she's moving around in the back. Of course, if you'd prefer, my neck is an option."

Caroline sat. She debated for a moment, ignored the burn in her throat and considered defying him; she decided to eat, she needed her strength. Her eyes shut as she absorbed the high, felt the veins crawl along her face before she exhaled slowly, pushing the need for more down. When she opened her eyes, Caroline froze at the gold in Klaus' eyes.

"So pretty, Caroline," Klaus murmured, eyes glittering. "Your control is surprising."

"I don't like being tested," she replied, leaning away from him. "You haven't answered my question."

"We'll get to that," Klaus said with a shrug. "Tell me about your feeding habits. Baby vampire as young as you rarely handle their bloodlust."

"No."

"No?"

She shook her head, mutely. Dug her nails into her palms as he watched her with eyes crawling with gold and black. The side of his mouth curved, and he made an amused sound. "I went to kill you, to shove my hand inside your chest and pull out your frantic heart."

She lifted her chin, ignored the way her insides shook. "Why didn't you?"

"There I stood, fresh from having my curse broken for the first time in a thousand years, and I felt complete," his expression shifted, something near feral on his face. "Until I looked at you."

She flinched at the blade in his words.

"Curious, isn't it?" Klaus said. "When the travelers swore vengeance, that they'd destroy me, I laughed at them. Their blood between my teeth, hands stained by their bleeding hearts, and they thought they'd harm me? I'm immortal, unkillable and what could one cult of witches do to me?"

Caroline shivered, shaking her head. "No, I don't think it's curious. I don't want this."

"We both can agree to that, love. Unfortunately, neither of us will have that particular wish granted. My wolf has very insistently claimed you, and is proving to be far more stubborn than I could've anticipated. Congratulations, sweetheart - you'll be living a very long life."

She stood and walked to a window, ignored the line he burned down her spine with his gaze. "And what, I'm just supposed to accept this? Smile and say thank you for abducting me? This isn't okay. None of this okay!"

"Caroline…"

She spun, glared at him. "No! I didn't ask for this. I didn't asked to be changed, to end up as your soulmate! What does that even mean? That you can't kill me? Fine. Great. I want to go home."

He stood, eyes filled with iron. "I'm afraid it's a bit more complicated than that, Caroline."

"I don't care!" She snapped, refusing to acknowledge the burning behind her eyes. "I don't care!"

"But I do."

She stepped back as he prowled forward, until her spine was flat against at a wall. He bracketed her with his arms, smile sharp. "Did the spell the travelers used create a false bond between us, did they simply take a possibility and sharpen its focus? Was this triggered because I was so close to breaking my mother's spell? Are you just an unfortunate girl, forced into this horror? In the end, it doesn't matter. Their magic carved a place for you in my chest and you filled it. So Caroline, I find myself in a position that I've avoided for a millenia. Someone other than my family matters - I put them into boxes, hid their corpses until I know they're safe. But the two days that you slept were too long without speaking with you. I craved you, and isn't that unfortunate for us both?"

She felt blood drain from her face, felt the cabin spin as he gripped her arms. "Two days? Two days? What did you do to my mom?"

"The Sheriff is fine, Caroline and the majority of the supernatural events should settle now that we've left and the doppelganger is tucked safely away."

Her gaze focused back on his face. "What?"

"You cannot think your presence wouldn't have eventually attracted attention?"

She gripped his shirt in her fists, pushed into his face. Her teeth were gritted when she spoke. "No one hurts my mom."

His hands left her arms, to cup her jaw. She startled at the hold, but he merely watched her. "They won't. The threats will follow us, Caroline. They've no reason to involve your mother, not yet; and by the time they realize her importance, they will have been eliminated."

Caroline took a steadying breath. His thumbs brushed along her cheekbones and she hissed. "I don't want you."

"Yet," he murmured, moving a hand to trace her lips. "You don't want me yet."

She pushed at his chest, stepped around him when he let her go with reluctant hands. His touch burned along her skin, left trails of fire. "You killed my friends, abducted me because of hinky magic and probably compelled my mom. What am I supposed to like? But you think I'll want you?"

He laughed softly, stepped around her to sit back down. Motioned for her to join him. When she sat, his eyes were amused, the heat almost a touch along her skin. "I don't think you're ready for all of that I offer, but there are a few things we need to discuss."

"What could we possibly have to talk about?" Caroline asked flatly.

"You don't trust me."

"Not at all."

"Yet, you push back, you snap at me with your words and eyes," Klaus drawled. "I will make you three promises, Caroline."

"How do I know you'll keep them?"

"My word can be fluid, when necessary, I will not apologize for that. But I think you'll find that the magic of this curse will hold me to what I promise you."

Caroline crossed her arms. "Why?"

He arched a brow. "Why am I making promises I intend to keep or why will the magic hold me to them?"

"Either. Both."

"Soulmate magic is rare," Klaus said. "I'm sure we'll find several quirks which are potentially an issue. But one day, I'll have your trust."

"Uh huh," she glared at him. "Fat chance."

He shrugged. "I will not compel you."

She froze, at the darkness in his sudden smile, the way he looked at her. Wondered how he knew of her nightmares, the fear that needled at her since she woke.

"Damon was an unfortunate casualty of the ritual," Klaus said with deliberate casualness. "It was better than he deserved, but still fitting. Their deaths were painful."

She dug her hands into her arms. "Why?

"We had a discussion and I didn't like the details,"Klaus tilted his head. "I find that I do not enjoy terror on your skin. Compulsion is not something you have to fear from me."

"And the other two?" Her voice was a rasp, eyes confused.

"I will not cage you; regardless of how I might wish to. That one I will certainly regret. The last is that I will give you the time you need to accept this."

Caroline frowned. "What does that even mean? Accept what? Stockholm Syndrome?"

His gaze bled gold, black veins crawling under his eyes. "I want to strip you of your defenses, lay you naked in my bed, and soothe the terror and anger with pleasure. My wolf wants to press against your skin, until your warm and content, soft with submission."

She nearly choked on air. Catching herself, she shook her head. "No."

"Hmmm."

They stared at each other, the air too warm between them. "And what do you expect in return?"

"Your loyalty."

She blinked and his mouth curved.

"Everything else will come as it will, but your loyalty? That is a choice, love. And I want yours."

"You can't demand…"

"I can," he returned ruthlessly. "You're the key to destroying me on a level I have not fully grasped. Your loyalty is not so much to ask in return, Caroline."

"If I give it to you, there are no take backs. I don't work like that," she tossed out her hands. "You haven't earned it."

"I know."

There was no give in his eyes and her stomach trembled. Swallowing, she tried to understand what he was asking. A thousand years, and he'd been given a weakness he despised. The set of his shoulders, the glitter behind his eyes told her that. But he was giving her space, the weight of the three promises nearly palpable.

"I prefer blood bags," she said finally, mouth bone dry. "I hate using compulsion."

Something shifted behind his eyes, something molten, but then it was buried. "Blood bags aren't very practical, Caroline. Particularly in places with few donors."

She compressed her lips, looked away.

"What may not have been explained to you," Klaus continued. "Is that young vampires need the strength feeding from the vein provides. You'll be hungry less often and if done correctly, you can feed without the human being aware or in pain."

"I don't want to kill people."

"Then don't."

"It's not that easy."

He shrugged. "It's less difficult than you've been led to believe."

She took a careful breath. "What did you mean when you said that we'd be in places that might not have donors?"

"Well, that depends on you."

She looked at him, brows tucked together in confusion. "What?"

"My father is still alive, although his time is now borrowed. He's had centuries to hunt me, to learn my methods. We've a few weeks before the last of my plan will fall into place."

"What plans?"

"Hybrids, sweetheart," His eyes glimmered, the puppet master well satisfied with his minions dance. "Once we finish unraveling the mystery of making hybrids, well…"

"Tyler?" Her voice wavered and he narrowed his gaze.

"He lives, for now." Klaus watched her, possession and something else stark on his face. "But until we've the bait for the trap, we need to keep a certain amount of distance between us and Mikael."

Wary, she ran her tongue across her lips. "How?"

His smile was slow and dimpled as he leaned back, hand encompassing the entirety of the plane. "Tell me sweetheart, where to?"

* * *

_**Please Comment** _

**Author's Note:**

> This story ended up being a bit of a precursor for what became Jar of Hearts. All the thanks for unwillingsuspensionofdisbelief on tumblr for letting me use her head canon.


End file.
